Latest News

Steps by Colombia stock exchange may enable it to stay in JPMorgan index -president.

Steps adopted by the Colombian stock exchange and securities companies to enhance liquidity could be enough for the country to hold onto its emerging market classification and stay in a key JPMorgan index, but more progress is required, the stock market's. president said.

Last year JPMorgan cautioned Colombia could be left out from. its MSCI emerging markets index and be reduced to a frontier. market due to decreasing liquidity.

The warning triggered a sharp drop in share prices throughout the. stock exchange as a downgrade would repel foreign financiers. directed by the bank's indexes.

Simply three Colombian stocks are consisted of in JPMorgan's MSCI. index; Bancolombia, Bancolombia Preferential and energy. corporation ISA.

The stock exchange has cut costs for issuing brand-new shares,. while business have actually employed liquidity companies to promote them,. to name a few steps, in a combined effort to improve liquidity,. Colombian stock exchange chief executive Andres Restrepo said.

From our figures, we don't believe the downgrade danger will. materialize, Restrepo told late on Friday. The. performance of the three stocks that form part of the MSCI. Emerging index has actually recovered.

In March, Davivienda, Colombia's third-largest bank, carried. out a share problem for $183.4 million, while Spanish bank BBVA's. Colombian unit said in mid-April that it was preparing a share. problem worth 220 million euros.

The next step will be to promote consisting of other business. into JPMorgan's MSCI emerging markets index, which will require. more share problems, said Restrepo, who has actually held the job given that. February.

Cementos Argos might be a candidate following a. choice to transform its preferential shares into common shares,. Restrepo said, adding that Colombia's bulk state-owned oil. company Ecopetrol might return to the index after it. was pushed out at the end of 2022.

Ecopetrol could really quickly get in the index with a. choice I comprehend is no little thing, however which is to. increase its float by selling no greater than 3% (of its shares),. Restrepo said. Presently, 11.5% of Ecopetrol's shares are traded on the. stock exchange, while 88.5% is owned by the Colombian state.

(source: Reuters)